FileShredder
4+

Screenshots

Description

The original FileShredder™ - the top streamlined deletion software since 2011 and the first to develop the innovative right-click method, optimized for maximum speed and efficiency. With just a simple click or drag, you can securely delete sensitive documents, or quickly erase files and free up space bypassing the Trash on your Mac, USB stick, or any other external drive. FileShredder provides an easy solution for removing any file right away from your computer.

Right-Click (Secondary Click) to Delete Permanently • Launch the app to add Shred and Secure Shred to the Finder Context Menu. • Simply right-click on a file or folder on the desktop, in the Trash, or in any other Finder window, and select Shred or Secure Shred to delete permanently. No app relaunching is required.

Drag-and-Drop to Delete Permanently • You can also drag-and-drop items onto the app icon on the dock. No app launching is required. • In Preferences, configure whether Secure Shred is used for the drag-and-drop method. • Please do not use drag-and-drop to delete aliases or symbolic links. The operating system will instruct the app to delete the original files rather than the aliases or links.

Confirmation Dialog • In Preferences, choose whether to ask for confirmation before deletion. • A confirmation dialog will always be shown before deleting an entire drive.

Deletion Indicator • Dock icon counts down the number of items remaining. • In Preferences, choose whether a sound effect plays after completion.

Emergency Stop • Press the Abort button on the app's dock menu or quit the app (Command+Q) to stop further deletion.

Q: What is the difference between Shred and Secure Shred?A: While both options skip the Trash to permanently delete files from the Mac, Secure Shred also overwrites the data on the hard drive so that it cannot be recovered whatsoever. Shred deletes much faster since it doesn't overwrite the data on the hard drive, but the files may be recoverable until your computer reuses that space on the hard drive.Here is an analogy for comparing different methods of deletion: ▪ Move to Trash (Command+delete) = throw items on your trash pile (you can retrieve them if you need them again) ▪ Shred = shred items in a shredder (to save space, quicker than secure shred, protects against snooping, files become harder to recover as time passes) ▪ Secure Shred = shred items in a shredder and then set them on fire (so they are completely destroyed)

What’s New

Version History

2.1

What's New in 2.0:- Support for macOS Sierra- New Secure Shred option: 3 passes (DoE standard)- Optional confirmation dialog before deletion- Confirmation dialog before deleting an entire drive- New Abort button on the app’s dock menu- Auto-quit for the drag-and-drop method - Optimizations and improvements on many special and rare cases- Due to Apple's Mac App Store sandboxing requirements, the following cases will no longer work in 2.0: 1) The app can no longer get the permissions needed to delete admin files for you - you will be prompted to unlock admin files manually first (see FAQ). 2) The app can no longer delete files in a read-only folder for you - you will be prompted to make the folder writable first. 3) The app can no longer delete files in a locked folder for you - you will be prompted to unlock the folder first.

2.0

Oct 17, 2016

- Support for macOS Sierra- New Secure Shred option: 3 passes (DoE standard)- Optional confirmation dialog before deletion- Confirmation dialog before deleting an entire drive- New Abort button on the app’s dock menu- Auto-quit for the drag-and-drop method - Optimizations and improvements on many special and rare cases- Due to Apple's Mac App Store sandboxing requirements, the following cases will no longer work in 2.0: 1) The app can no longer get the permissions needed to delete admin files for you - you will be prompted to unlock admin files manually first (see FAQ). 2) The app can no longer delete files in a read-only folder for you - you will be prompted to make the folder writable first. 3) The app can no longer delete files in a locked folder for you - you will be prompted to unlock the folder first. We submitted a version that requested for an exception so that cases 2 and 3 would work, but it was rejected. We will continue to appeal to the Apple Review Board.

1.1

Aug 8, 2011

- Added a counter to the dock icon indicating the number of items remaining for deletion.- A few bug fixes including an error when deleting more than several thousand items at a time.

1.0

What's New in 2.0:- Support for macOS Sierra- New Secure Shred option: 3 passes (DoE standard)- Optional confirmation dialog before deletion- Confirmation dialog before deleting an entire drive- New Abort button on the app’s dock menu- Auto-quit for the drag-and-drop method - Optimizations and improvements on many special and rare cases- Due to Apple's Mac App Store sandboxing requirements, the following cases will no longer work in 2.0: 1) The app can no longer get the permissions needed to delete admin files for you - you will be prompted to unlock admin files manually first (see FAQ). 2) The app can no longer delete files in a read-only folder for you - you will be prompted to make the folder writable first. 3) The app can no longer delete files in a locked folder for you - you will be prompted to unlock the folder first.

Ratings and Reviews

4.9 out of 5

85 Ratings

85 Ratings

jimmydoodlebug
,02/08/2018

Very Simple Security

I should say right off that whether or not this app really makes things impossible to recover requires an act of faith, because how do you really know? But it seems to do just that and it does it in a very easy to use way. You simply drag the icon onto your taskbar and leave it there and then drag your files and folders onto the icon. It doublechecks to see how securely you want to shred, how many passes to make, and then when you say to start it chews your files until they can no longer be recovered. It gives you the choice of how many passes to make, the more the better but also the longer it takes. If you choose to make no passes it seems to work like the trashcan you already have on your Mac, so don’t do that. It’s simple, effective, and inexpensive.

jimmydoodlebug
,02/08/2018

Very Simple Security

I should say right off that whether or not this app really makes things impossible to recover requires an act of faith, because how do you really know? But it seems to do just that and it does it in a very easy to use way. You simply drag the icon onto your taskbar and leave it there and then drag your files and folders onto the icon. It doublechecks to see how securely you want to shred, how many passes to make, and then when you say to start it chews your files until they can no longer be recovered. It gives you the choice of how many passes to make, the more the better but also the longer it takes. If you choose to make no passes it seems to work like the trashcan you already have on your Mac, so don’t do that. It’s simple, effective, and inexpensive.

gothmig
,05/29/2017

Eases My Mind

I can’t speak to the effectiveness of the security of this program, but it works beautifully in terms of ease of operation. I have found that there are remnants which are not removed completely. This I found by shredding files showing in the Trash. After having done so the Trash comes up as not being empty. Although you can’t locate a file, there is obviously something left behind. Thus to conserve space it may be wise to dump all files to be deleted in the Trash then shred them from there, any remnant will be deleted when the Trash is dumped...

Tis a marvelous program in my opinion.

Developer Response
,08/12/2017

Thank you for the great review!Please note that FileShredder would not leave something behind in the trash. Most likely you had something else hidden in the trash to begin with besides the items you selected for shredding. If you encounter this again, feel free to contact us at support@voidtech.net and we will be happy to help figure out what is going on.

gothmig
,05/29/2017

Eases My Mind

I can’t speak to the effectiveness of the security of this program, but it works beautifully in terms of ease of operation. I have found that there are remnants which are not removed completely. This I found by shredding files showing in the Trash. After having done so the Trash comes up as not being empty. Although you can’t locate a file, there is obviously something left behind. Thus to conserve space it may be wise to dump all files to be deleted in the Trash then shred them from there, any remnant will be deleted when the Trash is dumped...

Tis a marvelous program in my opinion.

Developer Response
,08/12/2017

Thank you for the great review!Please note that FileShredder would not leave something behind in the trash. Most likely you had something else hidden in the trash to begin with besides the items you selected for shredding. If you encounter this again, feel free to contact us at support@voidtech.net and we will be happy to help figure out what is going on.

Pengy7777777
,05/08/2018

Great App only needs 1 thing

shredding was NOT needed with my older OS system. So it was really annoying to have to BUY anything. However, despite that, this app is really great and seems to do what is is supposed to do with Style. Easy to use and convenient. Desperately needs ONE improvement - please upgrade this app to NOT delete ORIGINAL files if you accidentally SHRED an alias. Yes, I read the instructions and knew that but seriously, accidents happen. Why would you not treat them like the Apple OS trash can does? Luckily I am a cautious person and keep backups of anything really important. Other than this Fatal flaw that might bite you, it is a great app.

Developer Response
,05/10/2018

Hi, thank you for your review. We would like to have aliases working properly with the drag-and-drop too, but unfortunately it is an OS limitation that we have no control of. While the OS can treat aliases specially for the Trash, Finder passes the target of the alias instead of the alias itself to all the other apps including built-in apps. We have reported this issue to Apple but have yet to come to a solution.

Pengy7777777
,05/08/2018

Great App only needs 1 thing

shredding was NOT needed with my older OS system. So it was really annoying to have to BUY anything. However, despite that, this app is really great and seems to do what is is supposed to do with Style. Easy to use and convenient. Desperately needs ONE improvement - please upgrade this app to NOT delete ORIGINAL files if you accidentally SHRED an alias. Yes, I read the instructions and knew that but seriously, accidents happen. Why would you not treat them like the Apple OS trash can does? Luckily I am a cautious person and keep backups of anything really important. Other than this Fatal flaw that might bite you, it is a great app.

Developer Response
,05/10/2018

Hi, thank you for your review. We would like to have aliases working properly with the drag-and-drop too, but unfortunately it is an OS limitation that we have no control of. While the OS can treat aliases specially for the Trash, Finder passes the target of the alias instead of the alias itself to all the other apps including built-in apps. We have reported this issue to Apple but have yet to come to a solution.